


Love Has No Rules

by KMKH



Series: A Different Fate Universe [2]
Category: Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Betaed, Drama & Romance, Established Relationship, F/M, Misunderstandings, Romance, Sexual Content, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-02-20
Packaged: 2018-05-22 02:05:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6066541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KMKH/pseuds/KMKH
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even after finally finding love in each other, misunderstandings can happen – but it’s important to fight to defeat them and come out stronger together. A lesson that Arturia and Gilgamesh need to learn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Avalon

**Author's Note:**

> These are missing scenes from the epilogue of "A Different Fate".  
> I blame this first part entirely on my friend HiddenCamellia. She insisted until I gave in and wrote it, which is the reason for the mature rating. It’s all her fault :P  
> And a very special thank you goes to my beta - TheBookAngel - for her help!!!

…

...

Since leaving their wards in Japan and going on a trip through Europe, there was truly nothing standing in their way. Arturia had no more excuses to ‘delay’ something she was actually looking forward to.

After the moment they had shared right after the Grail’s destruction, they had not proceeded further. Other matters had required their attention, important matters that could not be postponed… but now they were all settled.

To be fair, Gilgamesh had tried, more than once, to push up her shirt while his arm was around her waist, touching her back as his hand attempted to climb higher, as he kissed her senseless. His other hand was usually in her hair, which he undid himself. Her own hands had been on his cheeks, fusing their lips together even more. But every time, something or someone had interrupted them, and in some ways, she had been glad for it. It would not have been good to initiate something and then have their time together cut short because of other engagements.

But now, there was nothing to stop them from taking that next step. She knew he was _eagerly_ looking forward to it, if the way he had grasped her hand with a heated gaze as they dematerialized was of any indication. Not that it was a bad thing; she was just as impatient as him, but it was kind of strange when she thought about it. He may be the King of all Heroes, but she had come to realize, that, in some ways she held a great power over him.

It was evening when they left Japan for Germany, to go to a hot spring hotel they had booked in advance. As soon as they had checked in and the clerk at the reception office was distracted, Gilgamesh smoothly grabbed Arturia around the waist, giving her no time to react, and dematerialized them to their room.

She adjusted to the slight unbalance that was the transportation’s collateral effect and barely had time to appreciate the slightly surreal view of the sunset out the huge window, before his warm mouth descended on hers.

She would have probably had unwanted thoughts going through her mind in that moment, finally alone with him without any possible interruptions – Gilgamesh had personally turned off both their mobile phones and carefully put them at the bottom of their travel bags –, but she could not think as he began to kiss her.

It wasn’t their first kiss, by any means, but still, it had not lost any of its marvellous sensations. In the previous weeks, they had kissed so many times that Arturia, once wary of any kind of physical contact, had found herself not only at ease and comfortable, but _craving_ Gilgamesh’s ardent embrace. She had even come to initiate their kisses and she had discovered that her arms went up to touch him of their own accord.

No… not of their own accord.

She wanted them to. She _wanted_ to touch him more, and several instances, she had come to resent the barrier that clothes provided, while at the same time she was grateful for it, as it stopped them from going too far too fast. But now… that barrier was only a hindrance to be removed.

Without holding anything back, she immediately responded to the touch, her arms going around him to pull him closer. She felt a strange movement of his lips against hers, and it took her a few moments to understand what was going on.

He was… _grinning_ into the kiss?

Her combative nature taking over, she pushed back and made his grin disappear with an aggressive onslaught on his mouth – strong and determined, but not violent, which did not hold back any of her emotions.

When they separated for air, they were both completely breathless. Her green eyes were wider than usual, and she could see that his pupils were dilated in his red orbs. In particular, she had never seen his eyes so dark, so close to burgundy – like his favourite wine, she dazedly recollected – instead of blood red… and she had a hunch that her own eyes were probably darker than usual as well.

But the change in colour did not prevent her from seeing the unabashed desire and especially his _affection_ towards her… and it was _so intense_ … so intense that she could not hold his gaze and had to look away.

She had not lied when she said she trusted him – and now it was time to prove that to be true. And she was not scared about what was going to come now that they were finally alone. She knew what he desired… because she desired the same. She anticipated it, and she knew it was something she _truly_ wanted – and the fact that she knew that he wanted it as well was making it perfect.

Her thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly started moving again.

They were standing in the middle of the room, and their eyes were on each other – and a conversation was not needed.

Slowly, in a careful way, but also with the self-assuredness of someone who knew what he was doing, his hands came up to her clavicles, tracing them softly, to then travel a little downwards and start unbuttoning her blouse, unhurriedly.

Arturia was still, and only the occasional hitch in her breathing betrayed her slight nervousness. Both she and Gilgamesh knew, however, that it wasn’t because of lack of faith in him but because of the novelty of the experience.

Perhaps the modest King of Knights should have felt much tenser than she actually was… but she knew that she had the same expression as him – she wanted the material gone. Judging by the look in his eyes, it was something he was impatient to do, but how fast it was going to happen, well, it would depend… and for once, just this once, she decided she would consciously let him take the lead.

The meticulousness and precision with which he was starting to undress her were so uncharacteristically tender, but at the same time tremendously ardent, that Arturia could not stop the tears from gathering in her eyes.

When was the last time she had ever felt so overwhelmed by her emotions? More importantly, by _positive_ emotions?

Probably never…

Gilgamesh, with his ever-outstanding perceptiveness when it came to her, noticed how her feelings were about to flow out of control, and brought his mouth back on hers for another deep kiss, calming her chaotic mind.

When his deft fingers reached the last button of her blouse, he peeled the material off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor, without being gentle but without being rough, either. Her indigo bra was exposed to his view, and his eyes were indeed focused on her naked flesh, indulging on the places where he still could not see.

His hands went downwards, almost teasing her as he traced the edge of her skirt, casually beginning to noiselessly push it down together with her leggings, but leaving her underwear on as he almost kneeled down to accompany the clothes to the floor.

Her creamy white skin was bare before his gaze, and suddenly she wished it was a little colder in the room, so she could justify the goose bumps she felt erupting everywhere on herself. She was not ashamed of her body… but she wasn’t completely comfortable with it, either. Even though all the curves where in the right places, she was not voluptuous, and _did_ feel a little self-conscious because of that.

However, she _trusted_ him. She did not move – simply allowing him to do whatever he pleased with her. It was probably one of the greatest displays of trust on her part, and he was well aware of it.

As soon as her clothes were off and only her matching undergarments were still in place, Gilgamesh, kneeling at her feet, was fully struck with the enormity of the significance of her behaviour towards him in that moment. And he could not help standing up abruptly to passionately capture her lips in a deep, open-mouthed kiss – which was only helped by the fact that she parted them in surprise at his assault.

His hands grasped the sides of her head getting better access to her mouth, and in the process his fingers sank into her tresses, slightly fumbling to untie her blue ribbon and then work through entangling her braided hair impatiently.

Her long, golden locks cascaded around her face, creating a lovely frame he had seen only once, many years before, when Illya had managed to dress her up good-naturedly. He could not help letting his hands run through their soft texture, but he made sure not to break the kiss in the process. No matter how enticing her hair was, her lips were currently his main focus.

He decided, however, that he wanted to go down those legs of hers while he could still focus enough to do so. He released her mouth to go down her body, nibbling everywhere he could reach and coming closer and closer to his destination… when he abruptly froze.

Some white marks had caught his eye.

There were some peculiar scars on her otherwise perfect legs – scars he recognized, and that made him feel an unexpected spasm in his chest.

He knew their origin – _his weapons_ had caused those white marks.

When he had proposed to her, seven years earlier, he had thrown his golden weapons at her, and she had been wounded because her fight with Berserker had weakened her considerably, both physically and mentally. Right after that, she had been drenched in the Grail’s darkness, before her Heroic Spirit’s body had had the time to heal properly.

The scars from back then still marred her body.

And all because he had used a part of his treasure to hurt the greatest treasure of them all…

Gilgamesh suddenly felt slightly sick. He had hurt her – for the sole purpose of having her agree to be his wife, he had hurt her in a way that had left visible signs on her, even after all that time. What kind of king stabbed his queen? He had learned that, and he knew she did not resent him for the past, but that did not mean that he could not come to resent himself. He had never thought of feeling aggrieved about something he had done… but seeing those white scars that he had inflicted upon her in pure egocentricity… it truly disgusted him to remember that he had done such a thing.

She had noticed his look, and in a way, it helped her forget that she was almost naked in front of him. Her small hands went to his cheeks, giving him soft caresses. Without speaking, she conveyed him a message.

She did not hold it against him – and he should not hold it against himself. She did not want him to.

He leaned forward and, surprising both her and himself, gently kissed the scars. He was not able to hide the flicker of guilt that went through his eyes – and Arturia managed to catch it.

She did not want to see him blame himself even after all that time, after they had finally put the past behind them; therefore, she murmured quietly, “If you want, I can have them gone.”

His head snapped up to look at her in surprise. She smiled a little and closed her eyes for a moment.

Avalon responded to her silent call, surrounding her body in a warm light. Her hands touched the scars briefly, and they disappeared in an instant.

He could only stare, her legs now free of any imperfection. She did not give him time to decide how to proceed though.

“Gilgamesh.”

Her tone was strange. She looked at him as he stood up again with a sudden movement, her eyes determined.

“I would like… I would like to ask you something.”

He raised an eyebrow. He did not think that the timing was the most appropriate for questions or requests, but her gaze was completely serious and it made any possible protest die on his lips.

“I would like for you to have Avalon.”

Blood red eyes widened in true shock. Arturia wanted _him_ … to have the most powerful defence Noble Phantasm in the world?

She did not give him the time to speak.

“I want to entrust Avalon to you… because I should not be the one to keep it, but it’s too powerful to give it to just anyone.” Her eyes were firm on his. “You are the only person I would trust to keep it safe, Gilgamesh.”

He could not give an immediate reply, even while her hands glistened as she took the sheath – whose golden and blue colours, as he distractedly noticed, were _their_ colours, his and Arturia’s – out of her body and sealed it inside his.

He was deeply aware of the magnitude of what she was doing. She was giving up her Noble Phantasm to give it to _him_ – the only person in the world who had enough power to harm her, if he so desired. And she was _willingly_ giving him her strongest defence weapon.

He knew she wasn’t just showing him her trust in him – she was also giving him the equivalent of a token of her love.

If he had had any lingering doubts left before that day, concerning her feelings about him, now he knew for certain.

He had her love… and did not think he could ever feel more exhilarating happiness than in that moment.

The feeling was so incredibly strong… he wanted to share it with her. He _needed_ to share it with her. He wanted to make her feel the same elation.

And he brought his mouth down on hers in a searing kiss, his hands fisting in her blonde hair again.

As he continued to kiss her, with his hands going through her tresses and occasionally brushing against her almost completely bare back, it occurred to him – even though he was having some trouble in remaining coherent in his thoughts – that he was still fully clothed. He nibbled down her neck and then up to her ear, a place he had had the pleasure to enjoy kissing several times in the past and where he knew she was particularly sensitive. Right on cue, a small whimper escaped her lips and, as if she had read his thoughts, her smaller hands softly tugged at the hem of his shirt.

To his slight amazement and great pleasure, he noticed that there was no hesitance in her actions, her previous nervousness clearly overshadowed by eagerness and honest willingness. She was however obviously asking for his permission, and he somehow reluctantly pulled away from her ear to stare into her eyes… her darkened, magnetic green eyes.

Silently, his red orbs gave her leave to act.

As slowly as he had done before with her, she began to open his white shirt, button after button, and for the life of him, he could not figure out how she managed to make that seem so… sensually entrancing.

Her fingers didn’t stay respectfully away from his upper body as his had been – she traced more and more muscles on his chest, with some timidity at first, but soon gaining confidence as she touched him more intimately.

He could not suppress a groan – she immediately took it as the good sign it was, and finally finished unbuttoning his shirt, a process with which she had taken her time. His hands did not stay idle in the meantime; one went behind her back, to pull her closer and to caress her bare skin, teasing the edge of her panties, while the other went up to play with her long hair again.

His movements made her bolder; after touching, tracing and going through his whole chest with almost scrupulous accuracy, she went downwards, grazing his pants with a return of her former bashfulness. But as soon as she saw him give a tiny smirk, her hesitance was forgotten and, unflinchingly, she unzipped his trousers and pushed them down in a swift movement.

Before she could remove his last item to uncover his now very obvious erection, he pulled her face towards him to lock their lips into another ravenous kiss, savouring the taste of her mouth and enjoying – and swallowing – the soft moans that were now escaping her.

Without the hindrance of the clothes, their bodies were much nearer – and much more susceptible to every little touch.

His lips went down her neck again – her long, wonderful, _sensitive_ neck, with which he was quickly developing a fascination. He loved covering it in kisses… and he knew he was going to enjoy it for a long time to come, if he had his way.

She felt her skin burning wherever he touched her, and she wasn’t sure anymore if it was because of shyness, eagerness, nervousness, _desire_ … and she did not really care to find out.

She wanted him – _now_.

Without her fully realizing it, his touch became more insistent, making her take unconscious steps backwards, until she abruptly felt the wall behind her. Her hands flew up to steady herself, landing first on his shoulders and then going through his blond hair. He had let it down, the way he knew she preferred it – and she could stroke it and pull at it as much as she wanted. His own caresses over her body never stopped, making her breath come short and her thoughts more and more disjointed.

Suddenly his lips, coming down her neck, found the bra straps. The fabric was in the way – and it was high time to get rid of it. The hand on the small of her back found its way upwards, softly touching her skin until it reached the last piece of clothing hiding her chest.

Its presence was long overdue… and he unhooked it, swiftly proceeding to discard it and throw it across the room.

And before Arturia even realized what was going on, his lips left her neck to go downwards… and his tongue darted out to lick the now bare skin in the valley between her breasts.

Supported by the wall, she could not stop the sudden jerk of her upper body and the throaty moan that left her mouth. His lips began to pay close attention to her chest, kissing, licking and occasionally sucking on every centimetre of her skin that he could reach… which was considerable, since there weren’t any clothes to stop him anymore.

She was no longer able to think intelligibly by then… and she felt unknown sensations begin to stir in her lower abdomen, coiling tightly. She had a strong suspicion that he was aware of it – in fact, he had probably been aiming for that.

When he finally relinquished her breasts to stare at her, she was flushed and out of breath, her eyes wide and with a considerably dazed look in them. Very pleased with the results, he leaned forward again to give her another kiss, this time on the lips.

She felt her legs being lifted as her back was pressed against the wall more securely, and she instinctively wrapped her limbs around him, while their mouths were hungrily against each other.

After he pulled away a little to allow them both to breathe once more, he only gave her the time to see the intensity in his eyes before she suddenly felt his hand – the one that wasn’t supporting her against the wall – brush against her stomach, her belly, her damp panties… until he pushed them aside and his fingers sank inside her.

A wordless scream left her lungs and she arched her back in reaction, instinctively asking for more. He continued to caress her, greedily taking in the sounds that escaped her mouth and making sure that her eyes became hazier with each touch.

Her expression was beautiful, and he could not help a feeling of elation in knowing that _he_ was the one who was provoking that in her, who was eliciting such reactions from her.

She was knowingly allowing him to touch her so intimately… she _trusted him_ to touch her in such a way.

With every moan that left her lips he found it harder to restrain himself, until he decided to just discard her underwear altogether.

But before taking off her last item, he had something else he wanted to do.

His fingers left her most private parts to slowly come up to his mouth. He waited until some haziness left her eyes and she could focus enough to look at him. Slowly, while he held her gaze, his tongue darted out of his mouth and licked every digit clean.

A fierce red appeared on Arturia’s cheeks. Gilgamesh smiled deviously at her.

“ _Exquisite_ ,” his low voice said, and the fire in his husky tone was unmistakable.

He did not give her the time to blush more, because his hands began to push her panties down her legs – which were quivering and still around him –, briefly unwrapping them from around him to get rid of the item but immediately making them go by his waist’s sides again. Before he could continue where he had left off, her smaller fingers went to his hips and pulled down his own underwear in a steady motion.

It was… arousing to see her behave so boldly.

Now truly impatient, he pushed her more firmly against the surface behind her, one of his hands caressing her face as he kissed her deeply, while the other went behind the small of her back to keep her hips from slamming against the wall.

As suddenly as he had kissed her, he pulled away, his blood red eyes gazing at her until her half-lidded green ones fluttered open. He stared at her intently, letting her feel him brush at her damp entrance… and then he pushed inside.

Her back arched, exposing her neck to him where he immediately began to leave a trail of featherlike kisses, and all her four limbs tightened around him, as she got accustomed to the initial discomfort. He held her firmly to him, while white stars erupted behind his eyes, because she was so hot, and wet, and _tight_ …

Tentatively, she moved her hips, sending a jolt through their joint bodies and making them both moan in pleasure. His mouth became more insistent on her neck, sucking at its base with passion, and she could no longer suppress the sounds of ecstasy that were leaving her throat. Her eyes focused enough for her to lean forward, to have her lips trace his ear softly, sending a shiver down both their spines.

Only one word – she managed to say only one word. But it was enough.

“ _…more…_ ”

Before she could make another movement, his arms went around her back to hold her more securely. Not giving her the time to protest about the abrupt interruption in his ministrations, he took her away from the wall and carried her, without separating their bodies, to the bed… where, with another intense kiss, he immediately resumed where he had left off.

…

*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*

…

*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*

…

Gilgamesh woke up a few hours later, feeling very content and relaxed. A quick glance to the window confirmed to him that it was a few hours before daybreak.

His gaze was immediately drawn to the woman lying down next to him, enveloped in his arms, deep asleep. His eyes swept over her form, and he was not surprised by the sheer _love_ that warmed his chest as he tightened his hold on her gently.

He could not help it – he continued to stare at her, raptly.

Especially in her sleep, she looked angelic. Oh, she was a fearsome warrior, he never did and never would doubt that, but he could not say he disliked the way she looked in that moment. Her long blonde hair was sprawled out on the pillow around her head, making a quite interesting halo.

His fingers itched to touch it… and he gave into the impulse.

Those soft strands… Gilgamesh decided then and there that – provided she agreed – _he_ would be the one to undo her chignon from then on. Those tresses were wonderful… he let his fingers go through them another time, and another, and another…

The King of Heroes leaned forward to kiss her temple, and then remained a long time just looking at her as she slept, silently taking in the beauty of the woman he loved… the only one who was much more precious than any treasure he had ever laid his eyes upon.

…

*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*

…

Arturia woke up, feeling uncommonly warm and comfortable, as if a heater was right next to her. After the end of the Fourth Grail War, she had gradually learned to savour the few moments she could still spend in bed in the mornings… and she was not going to let that change now.

Sighing in her slumber, she snuggled closer to the source of warmth… only for it to somehow pull her nearer as well.

Wait, what?

Green eyes flew open in shock as the memories from the previous night flooded back in her mind – and she smiled a little, joy replacing her surprise.

Inquisitive and slightly drowsy – but still beautiful, she thought – red orbs stared back, openly… and she knew she could not hide the warmth from her own eyes, nor did she want to.

Apparently, she had fallen asleep in his embrace – and he had very evidently not let go of her the whole night, because she was still wrapped securely in his arms.

Arturia felt no inhibition stop her from getting closer to Gilgamesh, burying her face in his neck and deeply inhaling his scent.

It was a reminder of the fact that everything was real… and she could not suppress another, wider smile, before whispering his name against his skin.

He felt her beaming on his neck, and he brought his lips down to trace her ear lightly.

He pronounced her name as well, in a barely audible murmur.

The King of Knights – probably for the first time in her life – felt more than just at peace.

In the arms of the King of Heroes, whom she had learned to love and who reciprocated her feelings wholeheartedly, she was finally in her true heaven.

...

...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dear friend HiddenCamellia, you made me write this, so it’s dedicated to you. Thank you so much for the endless patience you have with me!


	2. Only you

…

...

Gilgamesh’s eye twitched. He should not have agreed to come to the Emiya residence.

Even though they were currently living in Tokyo, the two kings and their wards had gone back to Fuyuki for a few days, to attend the celebration of Taiga’s engagement.

And the celebration, was of course taking place at the house where the brown-haired woman lived with her ward – a ward who happened to be Illya’s foster brother.

That evening, at the party, Arturia looked particularly stunning. Her golden locks were tied in a ponytail instead of her usual braided chignon, and she was mesmerizing in the knee-length peach-coloured dress she was wearing.

He could not suppress a brief smirk. That dress had been a last-minute purchase as the other one she had previously chosen and had tried on the day before… had been simply too tempting. He was the King of all Heroes, the almighty son of a goddess and could do anything he wanted… except keeping his self-control from slipping when it came to _that_ woman.

That former cerulean dress had been torn to shreds under his impatient and dexterous fingers.

She would have most likely complained… if she had not done _worse_ to his suit.

That evening, however, was quickly making him more irritated.

He was glaring coldly at anyone who seemed to have half-a-mind to dare approach the King of Knights to ask for a dance – although he _knew_ that she would have politely declined even if he had not been there to fend off the unwanted suitors.

He could not deny that it had truly been a pleasant surprise when his usually gentle and respectful Arturia had actually _glowered_ towards some revealingly dressed women who had purposely walked a few times in front of him, trying to catch his attention. Not that there had been any need for her reaction – he disregarded those revolting being’s existence –, but he had to admit that he did not mind seeing her possessive side.

Abruptly, he got up from his seat. Standing in front of her, he grabbed her hand and stared into her eyes. “Dance with me.”

Arturia looked at him, startled. She was not one to dance; she had learned, but she was not the type to enjoy any kind of strenuous movement that wasn’t functional – in her case, synchronizing with her sword.

But when Gilgamesh asked – well… kindly _requested_ – while directing such an intense look at her, she could hardly refuse. After a second of hesitation, she slowly stood up as well and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor.

In the midst of all the other couples, they stood out in their silent majesty. Arturia could feel how firm and yet gentle his arms were around her, and she could not help making sure that her hold was equally secure, pulling him closer to her. There was no need to exchange words – they understood each other without speaking.

As the song ended and they went back to their seats, she suddenly felt a tightening of his hand in hers. She noticed that he was glaring daggers at someone and turned around to follow the direction of his gaze… only to see Shirou hurriedly looking away from them while he was spinning with Sakura.

Luckily, all the seats next to theirs were currently free and surrounded by darkness, as everyone was dancing and the lights were concentrated on the dance floor. No one could overhear their conversation nor could see them, and Gilgamesh was evidently too furious to sit down, so they remained standing in the slightly secluded place.

The King of Heroes was more than simply irritated. He was aware of the fact that Arturia was an attractive woman – hell, he was _more_ than just _aware_ of it –, but that did not mean that mongrels were allowed to stare at her in inappropriate ways… or in any way at all.

Especially that brat, her former Master’s adopted son. He had been looking at her _again_.

Before he realized it, he had given voice to his thoughts.

“That mongrel… he was staring at you.” He frowned, irate, and she was taken aback. “He should be reminded of his place. He has _no right_.”

Her small hands all of a sudden went up to his face, gently resting on his cheeks in a calming gesture.

“Gilgamesh. In case you had not noticed, I was in _your_ arms the whole time. And… even if he _was_ staring at me and if the remote possibility of the boy being interested in me was true, allow me to remind you of the fact that _you_ are the person I’m in love with, not anyone else.” Her expression was steady. “Is this clear, King of Heroes?”

Her green gaze was limpid, her tone was serene, and the next instant, she reached up to plant a firm kiss on his lips.

And before he could recover from his surprise and respond, she had already pulled away and was giving him quite a mischievous look.

“Would you be so kind as to accompany me to the refreshment table, King of Heroes… I am beginning to resent the lack of a proper dinner.”

His former scowl left his face, and he followed her without protest, a small smile tugging at his lips.

…

*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*

…

The day after the party, they were still at the Emiya residence.

Their wards and their hosts were playing board games, the two kings were simply observing in silence. Arturia had graciously refused to play – she was too good at board games, it would not have been fair to the others if she were to participate – and Gilgamesh… well… not even Rin had the courage to ask him to lower himself to take part in such ‘amusements’.

The King of Heroes had strangely been calmer than usual – maybe because his arm had not left the King of Knights’s waist the whole time.

Even if it was a little cold – it was the end of March after all –, after a few hours he suddenly grabbed her hand and made her come outside with him.

There was a sakura tree in the yard, a beautiful cherry blossom, ready to bloom. As they stood in front of the tree, he stopped and turned around to face her. One of his hands sank into her hair, while the other caressed her cheek. His red eyes carefully examined every inch of her face as he leaned closer to her.

She did not know, but his mind was back on the words she had said to him the evening before, the words that had been unexpected but very, very welcome.

Arturia felt quite self-conscious under the intensity of his gaze, especially because they were in such a public place.

She looked around quickly, but before she could begin to extend her senses to check for other people’s presence, his warm lips descended on hers… and her mouth parted in surprise.

Taking full advantage of it, Gilgamesh deepened the kiss immediately, his hands pulling her face closer as he more or less glued their lips together. Completely lost in the wonderful sensations, Arturia brought her arms around him to increase the contact between them, and closed her eyes…

But suddenly, she heard a noise and abruptly took a step back from him, breaking the kiss and looking around in mild alarm. His arms, however, did not leave her or let her move away from him.

Behind her, Arturia saw out of the corner of her eye, a figure leaving and she recognized them from the white t-shirt. It was Kiritsugu’s adopted son.

She narrowed her eyes and looked back at Gilgamesh. He had a mildly surprised but very satisfied expression on his face, as he observed the boy leave.

A terrible thought entered her mind. Had he kissed her like that… so that Shirou would see them?

Suddenly everything was clear to her. Of course, Gilgamesh was still angry with the boy after the previous evening’s events.

The instant Arturia realized that, a numb feeling went through her system. He had decided to kiss her in a public space… only to show off?

The following moment, Gilgamesh’s smug expression was gone as his arms were torn off her and she freed herself from his hold.

His expression was astounded as she took an abrupt step back when he tried to reach for her and he was even more dismayed when he saw the anger, the embarrassment and the _hurt_ that was in her eyes.

“Arturia…?”

She was beginning to tremble with fury, and her hand went up – only to stop in mid-air. A slight tremor ran down her arm… she was visibly holding herself back from hitting him.

“ _How dare you_.”

He took a cautious step towards her, only for her eyes to flash in warning. Even if her arm’s movements had stopped, it was clear that he was going to receive a slap – or worse – if he went nearer.

“You kissed me only because Shirou was approaching. Because you wanted him to _watch_.” Her voice was laced with anger, “You _used_ me.”

At that, he came right in front of her, ignoring her threatening glance, and put his hands on her shoulders firmly, refusing to be intimidated.

He appeared to have realized the reason for her rage – and he strangely seemed to want to say something.

“I did _not_ use you–”

She did not allow him to finish the sentence and broke free from his grasp again.

“You _did_.”

She did not even try to conceal her anger at his actions, nor the fact that they had hurt her more than she could explain. Her green eyes were ice-cold as she looked at him.

“Stay away from me.”

Without another word, she turned, and stormed away.

…

*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*

…

As she strode towards her room, Arturia could not quiet her mind. Entering the space she shared with the King of Heroes, she grabbed a bag and threw inside some of the toiletries, before heading to another of the many guest rooms of the Emiya residence.

She was not going to sleep in the same room as _him_.

She was glad that the following day Taiga had already scheduled for her to go to the spa with Illya, Rin and Sakura. She did not intend to see Gilgamesh for quite a while.

She was deeply hurt.

How could he!

She would not do something as poignant as _cry_ – she was the King of Knights and, compared to everything else she had gone through, what had just happened was nothing.

But the ache in her chest just wouldn’t go away…

He had not just kissed her; he had practically _devoured_ her mouth, with intensity and urgency.

They had been in a public, visible place, something she did not like for displays of affection, but she had _trusted_ him… only to find out that the sole reason he had kissed her like that was to prove a point to someone. And not just anyone – _Shirou_ , of all people.

He was fully aware of the fact that, besides acknowledging his existence as Illya’s brother, she was not interested in the boy in the least – she had told him quite bluntly –, and yet, he was jealous anyway.

And for that reason, to make sure that Kiritsugu’s son became fully conscious of the fact that she was already in a _relationship_ with someone else, he had _used_ the kiss they shared to send a vivid warning.

It hurt her more than she thought.

To be kissed by someone she loved only because he wanted to _show_ that to someone else… was repulsive.

She had to stop in her considerations for a moment. She knew that Gilgamesh would not do such a thing… or rather, she _thought_ she knew. Because, after all, how could he have known that the boy was approaching?

Perhaps she had been too hasty… but perhaps not.

He had kissed her in such a way… so deeply, so passionately – Arturia could not help closing her eyes at the powerful memory, since it had been just mere minutes before –… only for her to find out that it had been a way to ‘remind that brat of his place’, as he had said the day before.

She wasn’t sure if she had done the right thing when she had held herself back from slapping him.

…

*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*

…

Gilgamesh tried to talk to her later that evening, without success.

She had sealed her room from him – curse her increased prowess in magic –, and he had no choice but be separated from her for the night. The large bed that he had always found acceptable for his tastes felt oddly _empty_ without her, and he was not able to fall asleep.

Aside from her absence, it was not really the knowledge of her anger towards him – an anger completely undeserved on his part – that was troubling his thoughts… but it was the fact that she was hurting.

He had never meant to upset or offend her and he knew he had done nothing wrong – but he was able to understand that, from her perspective, it could appear different.

He had been surprised and somehow appreciative, though, when she had not slapped him as she had clearly been about to do. Even when erroneously convinced that he had caused her offence, she had not attacked him physically. The King of Heroes was glad about the fact that Arturia had not lost any of her spirit when falling in love, and she had not become submissive or compliant in any way, but he couldn’t say he wasn’t happy about the fact that she had refrained from hitting him.

But that was irrelevant at the moment. The only thing to do was try to make things better.

It did not matter that it wasn’t his fault – Arturia was sad and distressed. Even though it was _not_ because of something he had done, she _thought_ it was, and that was making her suffer.

And the hurt look she had directed at him… it had unsettled him. He did not want to see her like that… ever.

He loved her too much to let the situation remain the way it was.

…

*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*

…

Gilgamesh was sitting on a couch in the living room, his red wine present in his hand. He was bored and somehow on edge.

Arturia, who still refused to speak with him, had gone with Rin, Illya, Sakura and Taiga to the spa, and he was alone at the Emiya residence.

Hearing the sound of the living room door slide open, he suppressed a sigh. He actually _wished_ he was alone, but he wasn’t.

There was that mongrel – Shirou.

He was the main cause for which his love was not speaking with him – _indirect_ cause, he acknowledged grudgingly, but the cause nonetheless.

If he wanted to make things better with Arturia… he had to start with the brat. The King of Knights wished for them to get along, and he… he could try to do something that would please her.

Even though ‘getting along’ was really asking too much.

The boy entered the room… only to pale considerably when he saw the King of Heroes. He was about to make a speedy retreat, when Gilgamesh, without even turning to look at him, spoke.

“Don’t try that. Sit.”

White-faced, Shirou reluctantly closed the door behind him and made his way to the couch in front of Gilgamesh. He gulped when he felt those blood red eyes piecing him. He knew he was trapped – all those who had some influence over the blond man weren’t present, and they were going to be away for the rest of the day. Moreover, the man seemed to have been in an especially dark mood since the previous evening.

The King of Heroes observed the red-haired boy. He was almost seventeen by then. He sighed, looking at the twirling half-full glass in his hand, and then at Kiritsugu’s son again.

“Look, boy. I will make things as brief and clear as possible. I don’t like you. You are surprisingly not a cruel person, but you are an _inexpressibly_ boring one.”

He sighed again, completely ignoring Shirou’s uncomfortable countenance.

“However, you are Illya’s brother. She cares about you. Arturia and Rin also desire for us to be in the same room without me glaring at you. Therefore, I will endeavour to tolerate you… for _her_ sake.”

Shirou was well aware of the fact that he was referring to the blonde woman, the one who was very obviously irreplaceably dear to Gilgamesh.

The King of Heroes’s red eyes, which had been quite detached and neutral until that moment, suddenly narrowed, and he leaned forward minimally.

His expression was dangerous.

“Remember though… I don’t make idle threats, and if I so much as _think_ that you are looking at Arturia in an inappropriate way, you will _wish_ that a glare is all you receive.”

Shirou could very much see that Gilgamesh was enjoying the thought of what he could do to him (the boy still remembered very clearly the vibrant scene of the man in front of him and the green-eyed woman passionately kissing), so he frantically nodded to show that he understood, and then fervently hoped that he could leave soon.

To his relief, Gilgamesh gave him a short but still very much threatening nod.

“Good. I’m satisfied that you understand. From this day onward, my effort will be to condone your existence. Do make sure not to get on my bad side.” He paused for a second, before casually adding, “No one among those who have done so is alive anymore.”

And he grinned maliciously.

For some reason, Shirou had no trouble believing him.

Gilgamesh smirked, satisfied.

“I can see that you are eager to be out of here now. Feel free to go… but remember this conversation, because if you don’t, it will be the last time you have your memory.”

…

*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*

…

He knew he would find her in their room – she had just finished drying her hair after coming back from the spa, and some items she needed were in the bedroom.

“Arturia.”

Her eyes had narrowed at him the moment she had seen him enter. She was calmer than the day before, but that did not mean that she would _smile_ at him or even just be enthusiastic about his presence there.

Before she could think of something to say, however, he spoke.

“I talked to the brat– the boy. My dislike for him has not lessened, but I have settled for indifference… and I’ve informed him of that.”

Seeing her raised eyebrow and sceptical expression, he bluntly said, looking her in the eye, “While it did indeed end up being a clear message for him as he walked in on us, I was unaware of his approach – and I most certainly _did not_ kiss you because I wanted someone else to see.”

Her expression did not change; she was still distrustful, and challenged him, “Then _why_ did you kiss me? And why in that manner?”

She could still _feel_ how powerful and ardent his touch had been, how his lips and his tongue–

Unexpectedly, he gave her a smile.

“I kissed you because I _wanted_ to, especially after what you had said at the previous day’s event. And I kissed you in that manner because it’s _you_ , Arturia.”

Suddenly his eyes narrowed.

“Do you honestly believe that I would have kissed _anyone else_ the way I kiss you? That I would feel for anyone else anything even remotely close to what I feel for _you_?”

With every word, he took swift steps closer to her.

“You have more power over me than what you realize, King of Knights… and, surprisingly, the knowledge of this does not bother me _at all_.”

His arms were around her waist and his lips were on her mouth, hungrily kissing her senseless. As soon as he pulled away slightly to allow her to regain some coherence in her head, she could only concentrate enough to have one thought in her mind.

She knew that it was the other way round as well… no one else would have ever been able to break through her barriers, understand her so completely and make room in her heart for so much love that it could never be replaced by anything else.

Her hands fisted into his shirt and she possessively pulled him to her, smashing their lips together and immediately deepening the kiss with a breathless moan.

It had been wrong of her to immediately accuse him of kissing her only for Shirou to see. Gilgamesh was not one who wanted to show off in the strictest sense of the word; he had a talent for being dramatic when he so desired, but he did not do things only for others to see, because he did not care about what the mongrels thought.

She had instead assumed that he wanted to… _display_ them kissing, and that thought had hurt her deeply… but she strongly suspected that the fact that she had considered such an assumption to be true had hurt _him_ as well.

Abruptly, she broke the kiss, and looked him in the eye, cheeks flushed and breath laboured.

“I’m sorry… I should not have jumped to conclusions like that. I’m sor–”

He did not let her finish, crushing his lips against hers in a new and even more passionate kiss. He did not wish for her to apologize to him.

After thoroughly ravaging her mouth, with his eyes half-lidded, he pulled away barely enough to be able to speak, his lips moving against hers, less than a millimetre separating their faces.

“…don’t say anything…”

And as he discarded their clothes swiftly, he allowed his hands and his lips, all over her body, to do the talking for him.

…

*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*

…

*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*

…

_He had dematerialized them to a faraway place, in the middle of a desert._

_Arturia let go of his hand, looking around in confusion. It held striking resemblance to Iskandar’s reality marble, Ionioi Hetaroi, with all the sand that surrounded them._

_It was also full of small hills… and they all held suspicious resemblance to Camlann._

_Camlann – the place of her last battle. The place that had broken her completely… but that she had managed to accept, bury in her heart and move on from._

_An eerie wind was blowing around her, its sound almost sinister._

_Wary, she turned around to ask Gilgamesh where he had brought them…_

_…but he was gone._

_“Gilgamesh…?”_

_He was not there. She was alone in the desert._

_The wind was blowing stronger now, and the sand was beginning to swirl around her with violence._

_“Gilgamesh?” she tried again, louder this time._

_She couldn’t see nor sense him – she was alone in what was quickly beginning to resemble a giant sandstorm._

_Arturia coughed. She was having difficulties in her breathing and her eyes were starting to water because of the irritating granules. The sand was too close, and it was beginning to hit her body with vehemence._

_Deciding it was time to set things straight, she called forth Invisible Air to protect herself._

_Nothing happened._

_To her dismay, she realized… she had no longer any power and was not able to access her own mana. She couldn’t even summon Excalibur, although it would have admittedly been useless in that situation._

_But none of her powers were working, Gilgamesh had left her there and she was alone in a sandstorm that continued to suffocate her until even her screams were muffled and swallowed–_

With a jolt and her blood pounding in her ears, Arturia awoke.

Eyes darting around wildly, breath uneven and body shaking uncontrollably, she found her wrists firmly held in Gilgamesh’s grip, his red eyes boring into her own with what seemed to be concern.

A dream. It had been a foolish dream.

Belatedly, she realized she had tears streaming down her face and she was trembling all over.

But it had all seemed so real, when he had abandoned her in the middle of the desert–..

It had most definitely been a nightmare, not a dream.

Startling Gilgamesh, she broke free from his grasp and her hands wrapped around his shoulders, clutching him to her tightly as her face buried in his neck.

His arms were around her, soothingly, caressing her and silently calming her.

He had never seen her like that, and he was uncertain about what had made her react in such a manner. She had been thrashing in her sleep for a little while when he had come back to the bed after getting up to close the window. She had also murmured his name in a tone that was surprisingly desperate.

And as soon as she had woken up, she had pulled him to her in extreme anxiety.

He continued to caress her back, and trailed soft kisses along her neck in a calming manner. She had been _crying_ , for heaven’s sake. That was not the Arturia he knew.

Finding her collarbone, he suddenly bit down.

He was rewarded with a hiss and a sharp tightening of her grip on his shoulders, before she distanced herself from him to give him a glare.

He smiled internally. Much better. Her spirit was back.

His arms were still around her, one hand caressing the small of her back and the other, next to her face, in her hair. She was breathing normally now, and her eyes no longer held that wild look.

His words were uncharacteristically soft.

“What did you dream?”

He had guessed it must have been something in her sleep that had upset her.

She averted her gaze.

“Nothing.”

Stubborn woman. Even after all that time, she still kept her thoughts locked in a fortified stronghold.

He knew better than to try to coerce her to talk; instead, he pulled her to him, making her rest her head on his chest and embracing her firmly.

He knew she liked to listen to his heartbeat, and in that position, he could feel hers as well – and to his surprise, he noticed it was still much faster than normal. He waited.

Voice very low, she whispered, “You dematerialized with me to a desert, a place filled with sand, similar to Rider’s reality marble. You abandoned me there and I… I did not have any of my powers, so a sandstorm crushed me.”

Her tone was hollow, and his hold on her tightened in instinct. His fingers began to trace her skin softly, reassuringly, lovingly.

Slowly, he murmured against her ear, “I may have left you in that dream… but this is reality, and I am _not_ leaving you – ever.”

His touch became firmer, and his hands travelled over her own hands, her arms, her shoulders, her neck, her breasts, her stomach, her back, up to her hair… and his lips were ghosting over hers, dragging her distressed mind completely back to reality.

“ _Feel_ my promise, Arturia…”

And his mouth kissed her deeply… finally freeing her from the last shadows the bad dream had left behind.

…

*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*

…

*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*

…

A few years had passed since their last proper visit to the Emiya residence.

Rin and Illya were all grown up and they now lived in Fuyuki, in the former Tohsaka mansion, which had been remodelled. Arturia and Gilgamesh, now husband and wife, lived in the same house, in their own private wing.

But they were all asked to stay over at the Emiya’s because Taiga was about to move out of it. After quite a long engagement period, she had finally decided to tie the knot with her fiancée – and the two kings and the girls had been invited to the wedding.

Taiga was a nice and reliable woman, very chatty and open-minded; she had been both Sakura and Shirou’s legal guardian for many years, and had played the role of the older sister with genuine affection for them both. The two children had become adults, and the brown-haired woman was now getting married; therefore, she was about to leave the Emiya residence.

The fact that the woman was moving out had of course made the other two residents talk about the change that was going to take place – and it had brought forth another startling decision.

Shirou, who was in the process of founding a company for electrical energy, would remain there, but when he had asked Sakura to stay live with him as more than just his friend, she had unexpectedly decided to refuse.

The purple-haired girl – contrary to Rin and Illya – intended to personally take care of the Matou heritage, and possibly… possibly discover more about the family’s past.

Like Rin, she was interested in research, but while her sister’s was on magic, Sakura’s was on history. The origins of the Matou family were tied to Russia, not to Fuyuki, and the purple-haired girl was curious to find out more about it.

She did not think it right to ask Shirou to ‘wait for her’ so, even though they had been dating for a few years, she decided it best to break up with him.

Sakura and Rin were friends, and they were sisters by blood; but Sakura had made it clear, very early on, that she did not want anything to do with the Tohsaka name anymore. She could make an effort to forgive what her father had done by allowing the Matous to adopt her, when he was fully conscious of what Zouken was going to do to her, but she would _never_ be able to forget it.

Gilgamesh was pleasantly surprised when he heard that piece of news regarding Tokiomi’s younger daughter.

Sakura was a girl with a dark past; she had been dismissed by her old family, and abused by her new one. However, in the King of Heroes’s opinion, nothing in her tragic story justified her unreasonable crush on that brat of a mongrel boy.

Therefore, he was pleased to find out that she had decided to do something with her life instead of settling for being just Shirou’s housewife. Gilgamesh thought she deserved better than wasting her time with that brat, and he knew she certainly had enough courage to follow the path she had chosen.

When he related his opinion to Arturia, she simply gave him a mildly amused look, and told him that she agreed with him on the fact that it was a positive thing that Sakura was going to make her own way in the world. She was internally happy about the fact that the girl had decided to do something else with her life, since she had still been a little too meek and submissive – understandably so – after having been freed from the worms and the Matous’ control.

And she was also glad about the fact that Gilgamesh was giving credit to Rin’s sister when credit was deserved.

About the split-up between Shirou and Sakura, Arturia avoided making direct comments. But Gilgamesh knew her more than enough to correctly guess what her thoughts were. She would have probably felt a little bad for Shirou, if Illya hadn’t reported that the boy was obviously sad, but not distraught over the end of his story with Sakura.

The King of Heroes therefore knew that the King of Knights actually thought that the closure of the relationship between them was for the best. She approved of what Sakura was deciding to do and how she had put an end to her bond with the young boy because, even in case the feelings that united Sakura and Shirou were genuine, even if they truly cared about each other, they were both still very young and their goals already differed. They needed to figure out what they wanted from their lives before ever committing seriously.

Perhaps, later in life, when they would meet again, they could decide to be together once more, or at least try to live a true love story with each other.

But for now, having them go their separate ways was a much better solution.

…

*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*

…

The day of the wedding finally arrived.

To her surprise, Arturia had actually been asked to be the bridesmaid. She had just soothed the bride’s nerves with her calming words, and then left her a few minutes on her own in the room next to the Church, where her grandfather was going to join her and escort her to the altar to give her away.

As the King of Knights was approaching the entrance of the Church – a new priest, not a corrupt one like Kirei, was going to preside over the ceremony –, a familiar arm sneaked around her waist.

She turned in Gilgamesh’s embrace, giving her husband a smile. He returned it, his usually haughty eyes softening as his hold on her tightened slightly. He pecked her lips briefly, knowing that she would not be happy if he distracted her too much and made them be late to the nuptials.

He released her waist, but he did not let go of her hand. Separating from him, she took notice of the very elegant black suit he was wearing.

He saw, of course, the way her eyes were staring at him appreciatively, and he smirked. He could not help looking her up and down as well, since her aquamarine bridesmaid dress fitted her form perfectly.

However, this time they were both going to keep their hands to themselves and not do anything to each other’s clothes… at least until the end of the ceremony.

He suddenly let go of her hand and, for the very first time, actually offered her his arm. The doors of the Church were not far, and it was almost time to start the celebration.

“Come, my love.”

As she accepted his arm, with a lower voice, he added, “I am aware of the fact that you have duties as a bridesmaid… but that does _not_ mean that I will allow you to leave my side.”

After a brief but almost imperceptible blush on Arturia’s cheeks and another stolen kiss later, the two kings entered the Church arm in arm.

…

…

Later, outside in the restaurant’s garden, they had found a sheltered area from which they could look at the gathering without being seen, because he would not tolerate any interruptions during his time with her – especially not by the now slightly intoxicated mongrels.

Arturia allowed Gilgamesh to envelop her in his arms from behind – where they were, she did not have to worry about public displays of affection. She relaxed in his embrace, contentedly observing the party from their secluded place, as they waited for the fireworks to start.

The wedding reception was slowly quieting down, and the songs were becoming slower and calmer. Illya and Rin were dancing with other guests, and Sakura and Shirou were dancing together in a friendly way; it was probably the last occasion in which they would see each other, since the purple-haired girl was going to leave for Russia the following week. Taiga and her husband were in the middle of the dancefloor, swaying slowly and completely lost in each other’s eyes.

Arturia’s fingers traced random patterns on Gilgamesh’s arms, and she smiled softly. Even though it was getting a little chilly outside, she did not feel it, because they were close enough to share body heat.

All of a sudden, in a very low voice, he murmured in her ear, “Do you have the desire for something of this kind as well, Arturia?”

The question took her aback, and startled green eyes met probing red ones in the darkness.

He was asking her… if she had the wish for a similar wedding ceremony – for them.

Her gaze remained contemplative for a while. Not so long before, he had asked her to become his wife, and she had accepted. They had not had any kind of ceremony because they had not felt the need for one, but now, attending an actual wedding of someone they knew, he had wondered if she had changed her mind, and therefore was asking her about it.

She remained pensive for a while, before replying seriously, “Do you, Gilgamesh?”

He smiled a little, a startlingly playful light in his eyes.

“I’m asking _you_ , my love.”

She did not need to think about it for long. And her reply… was honest and direct. Completely truthful and straightforward.

Because that was who she was.

“I personally don’t believe any of this is really necessary… because… all I truly need, Gilgamesh, is your love – and you have given me even more than that.”

She prevented him from kissing her by immediately asking, “But what are your thoughts?”

He held her even more securely. “These kind of celebrations are for mongrels… but if you had wished for one, as long as it was worthy of us, I would not have opposed it.”

In the end, all that truly mattered was for them to be together, and they _knew_ they were husband and wife.

They _knew_ they were in love with each other, and that…

That was more than enough.

His hold on her tightened, his lips went to her cheek to fleetingly caress her skin… and – no longer actually caring if someone saw them, as she would have in the past – she swiftly turned her head, meeting his mouth in a passionate kiss… in the exact moment the celebratory fireworks started.

…

…

...

...

END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sigh… I just adore Gilgamesh and Arturia… I know they are quite out of character here, but I hope they are consistent with how they changed throughout “A Different Fate”.  
> Heartfelt thanks to HiddenCamellia – she helped me a lot with some details for this story ;) also, she has written her own take on Avalon’s (Excalibur’s sheath) destiny, and it’s posted with the title “Transcend” on FF.net. Go read her piece – I can promise it’s much better than what I wrote :P  
> And I'm so grateful to the wonderful TheBookAngel for helping me as my beta!!!  
> Thank you very much for reading :)


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